Bev Murrill on making the most of 2009

Bev Murrill

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves." - Bill Vaughn

I LOVE new notebooks! Whether plain or pretty, big or small, they twirl tantalisingly in my thoughts, clean and fresh, just waiting for something brilliant to be written in them. What amazing revelation ... story ... teaching ... poetry ... may be written in that new book? What could I write that might change my world...even THE world!

A new year is like a new notebook. Every new year is a beginning! The old year has finally left, taking with it the good, the bad and the ugly events that made up its minutes and months and leaving us with a fresh season in time to begin a new chapter in our lives. New years are intended to fill our hearts with hope as we envision their huge potential; 365 days stretched out ahead of us, still unsullied and unspoiled. No harsh words, no broken promises or relationships, no loss, no grief, no futility or failure...here is a fresh, clean stretch of time that's brimming over with potential. I LOVE that!

But how do we keep it that way! How do we help our new and precious year fulfil its possibilities? Lots of people try to do it by making New Year's Resolutions - lose weight, do more exercise, stop smoking, cut down on alcohol...generally that lasts about as long as the person can hold out! It works for some but not for most.

The truth is, none of us can keep a new year free from disappointment and negative experiences. Life has its ups and downs for a reason and that is to help us learn to live with dignity and integrity, faith and courage despite all the incentives that being human offers for us to do the opposite. How would we know if we would choose to do the right thing unless we're faced with all the reasons and opportunities to do it wrong? How could we change if there never was a catalyst to force us to make the sort of choices that make us grow?

No, we can't keep the year ahead pristine, free of problems and pain, but we can find strategies to help us negotiate the pitfalls on our journey through the next 12 months.

How about asking God what His plans are for you this year. If He knows every hair on your head, it stands to reason that He has already looked at 2009 with you in mind. He's just waiting for you to check in with Him to find out what He wants for you and how you can operate so that your life can work despite the obstacles. The one who created you knows how to tailor you and the year to fit each other best. That doesn't mean the year won't have its stresses and pressures, or that you won't have to deal with difficult situations, but what it will do is ensure that you are on track with Him and that He can protect and keep you in each season, whether it is good or not so good.

Another good idea is to look in your Bible and ask God to give you a specific verse as your key for the coming year. You probably won't get a verse immediately, but give yourself a few weeks of reading it regularly and all of a sudden, a verse will step out of the pages and you will know that this is the one. It may be one you're familiar with, or one you've never heard of before, but take it and use it. Write it down, learn it off by heart, and use it as a guide through your year.

You can pray it when you're stuck and don't know what to do, and you can use it to encourage yourself when things are looking bleak. My verse last year was out of Proverbs. It was about trusting God and not my own intellect. If I acknowledged Him in everything I did, He would direct me where I needed to go. I've known that verse for years, but in 2008 it had specific meaning and as I kept remembering it in tough situations, it not only gave me peace when everything was stressful, but it also proved to be true as God kept on helping me understand which were the right choices to make.

Why don't you try it? You never know, it might prove to be your first Best Decision of the Year!